


A Real, Live Exorcist

by WerewolvesAreReal



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 14:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11015613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WerewolvesAreReal/pseuds/WerewolvesAreReal
Summary: Natori meets an 'exorcist'.





	A Real, Live Exorcist

“Does anyone know what's going on?”

Natori would like to know, too, but his public persona rests on a facade of naive geniality. ”I'm sure there's just a few technical difficulties, Atsuko-san. They'd send us home if the shooting was canceled.”

Atsuko hugs herself. “I hate just waiting,” his co-star complains. “This place is creepy.”

Natori has a rather high threshold for _creepy,_ but he can sympathize. This particular drama is a mystery-romance, and the background of the scene has been chosen for its deliberate sense of the uncanny. The low field is surrounded by trees on each side and covered with an almost permanent fog which stems from the ocean nearby. They need to get this scene over with soon or the fog will dissipate, though, and they'll have to return tomorrow.

The field is filled with broken rocks, too. Atsuko kicks her heel against one and grumbles as their third lead – Osamu, playing the posh, rich love-interest who ultimately fails to win Atsuko's affection – approaches. “The director is talking with the property's owner,” he reports. Osamu is grinning faintly. “You won't believe this – the guy's making us wait because he called out an _exorcist._ Said a ghost would attack us if we just went ahead with the work! We tried to talk him down but I guess he's refusing to listen.”

“Ha!” Atsuko exclaims. “I bet he just wants publicity. He'll probably get it, too – at least this will make a nice anecdote during interviews, later. But are we going home?” This seems to be the important part.

“The fog around here lasts a long time, supposedly. I guess we're waiting it out.”

Atsuko groans.

“Can we watch the exorcism?” Natori asks.

He wonders who was summoned, and if he knows them. It's not often one stumbles into other exorcists so casually – ignoring his frequent run-ins with Natsume Takashi. He hopes it isn't Matoba. Seiji would probably find it hilarious to burst into his workplace and act mysterious.

“I don't see why not,” Osamu says. “You know I've never met a real, live exorcist before...? Oh, I think that's him now.”

The other actors trail Natori while he joins a small, interested ring of extras, technicians, and camera-men. Hiiragi and Sasago appear by his side as the film director talks lowly to someone who might be a farmer – the property owner, probably - and a middle-aged, black-robed man carrying a trunk. That must be the exorcist.

The man looks around. His gaze slides right over Natori's _shiki._

Natori narrows his eyes thoughtfully.

“...First I must purify the area,” the man says. He's speaking to the film director, but his voice is loud and unnecessarily carrying. “I will walk around with a bell and this bundle of sage. Then I will lay out a trap to summon the spirit, composed of the twigs of an elder tree...”

Natori snorts. Loudly. He breaks away from the spectators and approaches. “Excuse me,” he says smoothly. “Have we met?”

“Natori Shuuichi-san!” The man beams at him. “ - I love your movies.”

No other recognition appears in the man's eyes.

“My name is Kato Itsuki,” the 'exorcist' continues. “No, I do not believe we've met.”

“Perhaps you know my companions, then?” Natori gestures toward his left where Sasago looms. But the man only looks at him blankly, confused.

Before a question can be raised Natori flashes his most pleasant smile at the director, laughing slightly. “My mistake – I did not mean to interrupt.”

“Of course, Natori-san.”

The pretend-exorcist performs his silly charades around the clearing while Natori tries not to brood. It's possible that the man, Kato, sincerely thinks his efforts are _doing_ something. Natori can't decide if that would be better or worse.

Kato finishes the show by chanting loudly, for over fifteen minutes, in the middle of a large and useless circle. Then he brandishes a stick in the air and collapses dramatically, though no spirit has even appeared except Natori's own _shiki._ Scattered applause comes from the watchers. Natori refrains from rolling his eyes.

The land-owner and director both thank the man profusely, suitably impressed.

* * *

 

“That's the third time, Osamu-san!”

“I'm sorry! I swear it's like someone is pushing me - “

Something _is_ pushing him. As if the botched exorcism wasn't taunting enough, a waist-high, white-robed youkai with horns keeps darting around the actors' ankles as they work. Even Natori has been forced to stumble once, unable to acknowledge the spirit or step around it while being filmed. Finally, when a break is called, he nods to Hiiragi. His _shiki_ darts in to grab the little spirit by the cuff of its neck, patiently holding it in the air while it squirms.

The rest of the day proceeds without fuss.

After the crew has packed up Natori waves away an offer of a ride back to town:“I think I'd like to practice some lines,” he lies, smiling.

“What, here?”

“I need to have the proper mood,” Natori insists, and everyone shrugs.

He has Sasago search the surrounding forests for anyone who might have lingered, then grabs his bag. “Alright, Hiiragi. Let him go.”

She does. The tiny spirit stumbles to the ground furiously. “Exorcist!” he accuses. Obviously. “I didn't do anything to you! How dare you come into _my_ home - “

Is the little speck trying to threaten him? Natori sighs. “I'm not going to exorcise you,” he says patiently. “But you were a bother today – I'm putting a temporary purification over the area.”

“No!”

The spirit launches itself at him, and – grows.

Natori swiftly withdraws a chain of paper dolls, but before he can bind the youkai his _shiki_ has slashed at it with her sword. The robed spirit flies back and shrinks again, cowering.

“A powerful purification,” Natori mutters to himself. Glaring at the cowed youkai, he gets to work.

* * *

 

“You know,” says Osamu as they film in that clearing for the last day, “It's embarrassing, but that exorcism-stuff actually freaked me out a little. Especially on the first day – it seemed like we really were cursed!”

“I know what you mean,” Atsuko laughs. “Maybe the exorcism really _did_ work. Right, Natori-san?”

“Maybe.” He offers a fake smile. Natori shifts his grip on his bag; the black shadow of a lizard squirms to curl around his knuckles, tail flicking. “But it could just be our imagination.”

 


End file.
